le feeee



mitch tutes @anni ffice..

JOHN YLaV FERRE, .oeoHARLESTou/N, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 78,213, lated Mm, 26,1868.

vIMPROVED METHOD OF FORMING CARRIAGE-AMS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN-LE FERRE, of Charlestown, in the county oi` Middlesex, and State of lllassachusetts, have'invented certain Improvements in Axles for Carriagcs, tbc., of which the following is a full,'clear, l

land exact description, reference .being lhad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification,

v in which- Figure 1 is a. plan of a portion of my improved axle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the same.

Figure 3 is a, transversesection'on the lines y y of figs.V 1 and 2.

It has 1heretofore been customary to construct the axle of a carriage, die., from one homogeneous piece of metal, which is rolled or drawn down tothe s'ize and form required. In the event o f the iron containing any impurities, the journal of an axle so constructed, when subjected to a severe strain, is frequently broken.

To obvia-te the above-mentioned ditliculty is the object of .my invention, which consists in the methodoi` constructinil)r an axle of two or more pieces oi' iron or steel, laid longitudinally, and welded together, by which means the grain of the metal is crossed, and the several layers 'or pieces Aare closely united together, in such manner as to successfully resist a very considerable stra-in without breaking, the metal, when obliged to yield, simply bending, whereby itmay again be readily straightened. i

To enableothers skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe 'the manner in which I have carried it out. i i

In the said drawings, A represents the outer portion of a carriage-axle, composed of four pieces, a, of iron or steel, laid longitudinally upon and thoroughly welded together. `The piecethus made by the union of the several pieces a is tapered off, and the portion, 6, forming thejournal ofthe axle, turned down trulyin a lathe,I and provided with a shoulder, m m, and a screwthread, 5, for the reception offthe nut, which keepsthe wheel in place upon the journal, a suitable collar, 67 b'eing provided, against whicluair a washer,'7, the inner face-of the axle-box or hub plays while revolving.

By the construction above described, should their-on or steel be defective at any particular point in one of' the layers or pieces a, the piece or pieces a n contactthcrewith will serve to strengthen it, and the strainwill bc gradually and equally received, and distributed throughout the several pieces forming the agile; and should a concussion occur suiiiciently severe to cause the axle to yield at all,t will simply bend, without breaking, and may readily be straightened out again. v l

It is evident4 car-axles, Ste., may be constructed as above described, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

lam. v

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The inethocl herein described of constructing a-carriuge-axle, A, namely, by placing two or `more -steel or -iron bars longitudinally, one upon the other, welding the same thoroughly together, then turning down the taper, b, with the shoulder m, thereon, and thenadjusting on said taper, b, and against the" shoulder m, a suitable collar, 6,' and washer, 7, all in the manner substantially as set forth. h.

'JOHN -LE FERRE, niark. Witnesses:

N. W.4 STE'RNs,

W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

